In this episode, we sit down with Chloé Roy, seasoned flower farmer, teacher at the Market Gardener Institute, and author of a new book on flower farming. She shares her journey from vegetable farming to building Floramama, a thriving flower farm, and the lessons learned along the way. Chloé discusses the business side of flower farming and sheds light on the hidden environmental and ethical costs of conventional flowers and why local flower farms are part of a growing movement. Chloé also reflects on scaling back production, prioritizing work-life balance, and her dream of documenting a world tour of flower farms. Whether you're a market gardener or a flower enthusiast, this episode is full of insights to help you grow flowers more profitably and sustainably. PLEASE make sure to subscribe to the podcast, download our episodes, and rate them! Your support means the world to us. Thank you! Join The Flower Farm Online Course and take your flower farm to the next level! Next cohort coming March 2025. Timestamps [06:40] The hidden costs of the conventional flower industry and why local flowers matter [12:12] The rise of the small flower farm movement [18:51] Applying bio-intensive market gardening to flower farming [27:15] Challenges in growing Lisianthus and Ranunculus – Trial, error, and success [32:40] Pricing flowers correctly and educating customers on their value [39:24] Market strategies – Selling at farmers' markets, CSAs, and to florists [45:08] Scaling up to a $380K farm operation – Managing a team and business growth [51:22] Scaling back – Shifting focus to seed and bulb production [56:10] Chloé’s dream – A world tour documenting flower farms [1:10:54] Lessons in business planning and work-life balance [1:24:19] Advice for new flower farmers[1:41:07] Rapid fire Q&A Sponsors Tessier https://info.serres-guytessier.com/en/tessier-mgi10?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Tessier+MGI+podcast Use promocode MGI10 for 10% off and free shipping on your first purchase for the Eastern North American regions (Ontario, the Maritimes, and the states of Vermont, Maine, New York, and New Hampshire). Bootstrap https://bootstrapfarmer.com/marketgardenerpodcast Market Gardener Institute www.themarketgardener.com/introduction Limited time offer of $99 USD on our online course Introduction To Organic Farming. Links/Resources Market Gardener Institute: https://themarketgardener.com/ Masterclass: https://themarketgardener.com/courses/the-market-gardener-masterclass/ Newsletter: https://themarketgardener.com/newsletter Blog: https://themarketgardener.com/blog Books: https://themarketgardener.com/books Growers & Co: https://growers.co/ Heirloom: https://heirloom.ag/ The Old Mill: https://www.espaceoldmill.com/en/ Follow Us Website: http://themarketgardener.com Facebook: http://facebook.com/marketgardenerinstitute Instagram: http://instagram.com/themarketgardeners Guest Social Media Links Floramama: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/floramamafermeflorale Website: https://www.floramama.ca/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/floramama JM: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeanmartinfortier Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeanmartinfortier
